The Minister for Infrastructure Claver Gatete has said that the government has put in place strategies that will ensure that the issues within the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) are fixed and water supply within the country is improved.
Gatete said this while addressing members of the lower chamber of parliament on issues raised by the Auditor General’s reports between 2014 and 2018.
The issues include non-revenue water, losses made by the corporation, and the poor performance in managing company assets among others.
Gatete told lawmakers that most of the issues within WASAC stem from the time it was still Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) but efforts are being put in place to fix the challenges long term.
Non-revenue water
Gatete touched on the issue of non-revenue water issues which he said are two-fold falling under both technical and commercial.
He explained that in terms of technical challenges, there are issues of small and old drainages and pipes, water fraud and too much water pressure that damages water pipes which are all being looked into.
"Particularly in Kigali, we have 568km of water pipes that are being replaced and this exercise will be complete by December this year. Outside Kigali, we are looking at 1,112km and so far, Musanze and Nyagatare districts have been covered but we expect it to be complete elsewhere by December,” he said.
He explained that to avoid a repeat of these challenges, they were using equipment that is on international standards and this will on the other hand also mitigate any other issues that come with unbilled water.
Gatete explained that these changes are part of the WASAC strategic plan that stipulates that by 2024, they expect to have smart meters, standard pipes and water pressure management in place and fast ways to manage water leakages.
He added that currently, there is a team in place that is particularly in charge of managing water leakages adding that water pressure reduction valves have been placed in strategic places to minimise the challenge.
On the commercial part, Gatete explained that the billing system that is currently being used can be problematic and can cause losses to both the client and the company in case of an error.
However, to fix this, Gatete explained that WASAC is replacing old meters with new ones and so far, 13,879 have been changed.
Planning long-term
Gatete said that with support from the Japanese government, the government has put in place a Kigali City Water Supply Master Plan that stretches to 2050.
He explained that this will help to plan ahead, especially in terms of setting timelines and budget.
According to the plan which was completed in May, Kigali City will need 1.07million cubic metres of water per day by 2050.
For this to be possible, the government is preparing to boost the capacity of Nzove water treatment plant by 88 cubic meters, Karenge water plant will be increased by102,000 cubic meters, Masaka water plant by 120,000 cubic meters, Nyabarongo water plant by 240,000, Gahanga water plant by 280,000, and Rwesero water plant by 18,000.
"While the Kigali Water Supply Master Plan is complete, the one for the rest of the country will be complete in November this year and this will help us to plan ahead in terms of timing and budget,” he said.
Increasing water capacity
Gatete said that ensuring that each Rwandan has access to clean water is a process that takes time and requires a clear network, construction of reservoirs and water treatment.
With support from ‘Water for People’, Rulindo District water network has increased from 60 percent to 95 percent.
‘Water for People’ is also helping increase the water network from 92 percent to 100 percent in Gicumbi district. In Gatsibo, Huye, Gicumbi, Gakenke, Gisagara, World Vision is setting up water networks.
He explained that after building the network, there is a need for reservoirs.
"Currently, we have 75 reservoirs with a capacity of 57,437 cubic meters. We are in the process of constructing 234 reservoirs that will store 118,589 cubic meters of water which we expect to double the capacity we already have,” he said.
In Kigali, the capacity will increase by four times.
MPs react
MP Pie Nizeyimana wondered why just like electricity, there has not been a payment plan that allows water consumers to prepay.
"In Huye district, some people are using tap and go to pay for water in advance. There were discussions to introduce such a service countrywide where someone pays for water the same way we do for water, which will save the clients any complaints and the company protected from losses,” he says.
MP Christine Mukabunani reminded fellow lawmakers that the issue of wasteful of water has been ongoing and is tied to poor management.
"In some places, the locals will call when water is pouring for days on end while in another area they are crying for water. This clearly shows you how there is an issue in how these issues are managed,” she said.